Kelly Graves will sport green and yellow for many years to come.

On Thursday, Oregon announced that Graves signed a new six-year, $4.125 million contract that will keep him in Eugene through the 2022-23 season.

He will earn $625,000 in contract year one and his salary will increase by $25,000 each year, earning $750,000 in year six, per his contract provided to the Emerald in a records request.

“We’re thrilled with the trajectory of the program, and look forward to continued growth in the coming years,” Graves said in a news release. “I really appreciate the faith from Rob Mullens and the rest of our administration to continue the progress we’ve made the last three years.”

Graves and the Ducks are coming off the most successful season in program history. After reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005, the Ducks advanced to the Elite Eight before losing to UConn in Bridgeport, Connecticut. In the process, Oregon knocked off Temple, Duke and Maryland. No other team in school history had reached the Sweet 16.

In the release, athletic director Rob Mullens called Graves one of the nation’s top coaches.

“He’s providing a positive student-athlete experience while broadening the reach of his program in the community, and we’re glad he’ll be a Duck for at least another six years,” Mullens said.

The Ducks, picked to finish seventh in the Pac-12 preseason poll, flew to new heights under Graves in 2016-17. After signing the nation’s No. 3 ranked recruiting class by espnW, Graves and the Ducks finished the season 23-14, good enough for a No. 16 ranking in the final coaches’ poll.

Graves, 60-42 in three years at Oregon, signed a five-year contract when he was hired in 2014 to replace Paul Westhead.

“I’m not even the least bit surprised at what they’re doing,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said last month. “Not even a little bit. I remember when Kelly got the job. I told everybody in the coaching profession, I said, ‘They’re going to be in the Final Four sooner than anybody thinks.’”

Follow Jonathan Hawthorne on Twitter @Jon_Hawthorne

The post Kelly Graves earns contract extension after March Madness run appeared first on Emerald Media.

Sometimes, you just have to leave it to puppies to pick a national champion.

On Wednesday night’s “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” a group of adorable Labrador retriever puppies picked the Ducks to win the 2017 NCAA Tournament. That’s what we call scientific — forget the rebounding margins, 3-point percentages and NCAA seeds.

“Let’s release the puppies,” Fallon says. Now that’s something we can get behind.

Watch the full clip below:

Talk about a good omen for Duck fans. Oregon goes against North Carolina on Saturday at 5:49 p.m. on CBS.

The post Watch: Puppies on The Tonight Show predict Ducks will win national title appeared first on Emerald Media.

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Inside the Oregon locker room on Monday night, Sabrina Ionescu grabbed food. Lexi Bando talked next season, her senior year. And Jacinta Vandenberg reflected on her Duck legacy.

Most of all, players dished on what’s to come for the Ducks, who return 100 percent of their NCAA Tournament points and rebounds next year.

Top-ranked UConn routed Oregon 90-52 on Monday night before a national television audience and 8,978 at Webster Bank Arena.

The winners of four consecutive national titles took a 23-4 lead. Then they scored again and again, running the score up to 49-24 at halftime.

But for the Ducks, Monday was a benchmark of where they want to go. Players weren’t broken down. After all, the NCAA Tournament netted a trip to the Elite Eight, the first in UO history.

“We want to build what UConn has,” said Lexi Bando. “We put Oregon on the map by our run in the tournament. Now a lot of people know — ‘Okay. Oregon basketball. They’re the real deal.’”

Head coach Kelly Graves called Monday’s loss “part of the process.”

“I think a run like this will make it easier to motivate our team in the off season,” Graves said. “Hey — we got a taste of it. We see what it’s like. We want to get back.”

UConn forced 22 Oregon turnovers, including 17 in the first half, to put the Oregon offense out of sorts.

The loss ends the program’s first March Madness run since 2005. The Ducks knocked off No. 7-seeded Temple, No. 2 Duke and No. 3 Maryland before falling short of the Final Four. Only one Pac-12 team outlasted the Ducks in the NCAA Tournament. Stanford plays on Friday in the Final Four.

Ionescu, who scored a team-high 15 points and eight rebounds, kept the mood light at halftime amid a 25-point deficit.

“I said, ‘Guys. We should try and live in the moment. It doesn’t come around often, and just enjoy it. Enjoy playing the No. 1 team in the country,’ ” said Ionescu, who was named to the All-Regional team.

From the beginning, UConn’s offensive hammer and disruptive defense was too much for the youthful Ducks.

Napheesa Collier had 28 points while Gabby Williams added 25 points for the Huskies, which have now won 111 straight games.

The Huskies finished the half on a 15-3 run and had more steals (12) than the Ducks had field goals (nine). The Ducks shot 41.7 percent in the first half but only attempted 12 shots while UConn got off 22 total shots.

Oregon trimmed the UConn lead to 13 points, 34-21, with 6:15 left before halftime on a pair of Ionescu free throws.

The Ducks had four turnovers after intermission.

Graves said the team took a deep breath to settle in.

“In that first half, I thought our quickness gave Oregon a lot of problems,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “They’re very disciplined but yet they’re not very methodical.”

Bando, a senior next season, said the Ducks reached new heights during March Madness.

“We just peaked at the right time,” Bando said. “We got players who were playing really well at the right time. We were playing for each other and were loose. I think that’s what got us super far.”

Jacinta Vandenberg and Mar’Shay Moore got a chance to see the floor during their final game as seniors. And Megan Trinder, who participated in senior day, made the trip with the Ducks.

“It was awesome to be able to say that we went to the Elite Eight and especially in my senior year,” Vandenberg said. “That’s a special memory that I’ll have for the rest of my life.”

The Ducks will catch a red-eye flight on Monday night back to Eugene.

“I truly believe from the bottom of my heart that we can be the kind of program that can be in this position and perhaps beyond year-in and year-out,” Graves said. “That’s our goal.”

Notable:

UConn had a 32-12 points-off-turnovers advantage and a 21-2 second-chance points edge. … The Huskies made seven 3-pointers while Oregon made five. … Lydia Giomi, who didn’t play this season after breaking her hand in December, made the trip to Bridgeport. … Athletic director Rob Mullens and UO President Michael Schill were among those in attendance. … UConn had 12 offensive rebounds while Oregon had six.

 Follow Jonathan Hawthorne on Twitter @Jon_Hawthorne

Find all of the Emerald’s coverage from Bridgeport here.

The post UConn dispatches Oregon 90-52 to end NCAA Tournament run appeared first on Emerald Media.

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — You don’t have to detail UConn’s dominance to the Oregon women’s hoops team — not the wins, streaks or NCAA titles. Growing up, many of them watched nationally televised UConn games. Others, like Sabrina Ionescu, even caught the recruiting eye of coach Geno Auriemma.

But now they’re opposite the nation’s top team looking for a shot at advancing to the Final Four. The Ducks and UConn play in the Bridgeport Regional later today (4 p.m. PST on ESPN).

“You know, for any athlete or competitor, this is what you live for,” Lexi Bando, a Eugene native, said. “You want to play at the biggest stage against the best team. It can’t come soon enough.”

Ionescu cited UConn’s culture as a key piece to the program’s storied success. UConn has won 110 consecutive games, and the team’s last loss came at the hands of another Pac-12 team, Stanford, back in December 2014.

“They recruit great kids and kids that want to compete. And kids that want to win,” Ionescu said. “They don’t really have any knuckleheads on their team. They have great culture, great kids and [coach] Geno [Auriemma] is one-of-a-kind.”

The Ducks — looking to become the first double-digit seed to make the Final Four — want to stop UConn from advancing to the program’s 10th consecutive Final Four. UConn made the Elite Eight after dispatching UCLA, 86-71, on Saturday.

The Huskies have four players who average double figures in scoring. Katie Lou Samuelson, who went 10-for-10 from 3-point range during an AAC Tournament game, averages 20.7 points a game. Napheesa Collier (20.4 points, 9.0 boards), Gabby Williams (13.8 points, 8.4 boards) and Kia Nurse (13.0 points) will give the Ducks all they can handle offensively.

UConn ranks second in the nation in 3-point percentage (40.4 percent) while Oregon ranks third (39.0 percent).

“People can play with them for a time, but can they play with them for 40 minutes? And that’s the challenge we have ahead of us,” head coach Kelly Graves said. “We’ve got to play a 40-minute game. Things are going to go wrong.

“We’ve got to lift our heads up and fight through it and continue to fight. This team has shown that kind of resilience.”

UConn and Auriemma aren’t overlooking the Ducks. Not on this stage after what they’ve achieved in NCAA Tournament play.

“They didn’t realize they’re supposed to be, like, nervous,” Auriemma said. “They don’t realize this is supposed to be really hard, you know. You’re not supposed to just walk into the NCAA Tournament and just start beating teams with three freshmen in the starting lineup, and a freshman point guard.”

Samuelson said against the Ducks, defense will be the focus. But she knows that the Ducks have been successful thanks in part to their bold, youthful mentality.

“They’re playing probably more fearless than anyone in the country,” Samuelson said. “That’s why they’ve been so successful to get this far. They’re playing their best basketball.”

Monday will be the third meeting between the two programs but the first in Graves’ career.

“That’s tough to think that we can get to this spot and have a chance to get to a Final Four in our third year with so many young kids,” Graves said. “But it’s here now. So we’re going to seize upon the opportunity.”

Follow Jonathan Hawthorne on Twitter @Jon_Hawthorne

Find all of the Emerald’s coverage from Bridgeport here.

The post Ducks know exactly what lies ahead in Elite Eight matchup with UConn appeared first on Emerald Media.

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Sunday’s locker room media availability was the surest sign that the Ducks have reached women’s college basketball’s largest stage.

Swarmed with reporters holding video cameras and microphones, Duck players answered questions about facing UConn, their unprecedented season and what it’s like to reach the Elite Eight.

Oregon will have a shot to reach the program’s first Final Four on Monday when the team squares off against the Huskies (4 p.m. on ESPN).

Here are a few storylines from Sunday’s practices:

Geno and Graves

Kelly Graves and Geno Auriemma have built a close rapport through their years coaching women’s basketball. Most of that time came during Nike team coaching retreats but both have been involved with USA Basketball throughout the years.

On Sunday, Graves called Auriemma one of the best in college basketball, regardless of gender.

“He’s just absolutely phenomenal,” Graves said. “What he does and how he motivates and coaches — it’s going to be an honor to play tomorrow. And that being said, I hope I kick his butt.”

Auriemma had plenty of nice things to say about Graves on Saturday.

“I’m not even the least bit surprised at what they’re doing,” Auriemma said. “Not even a little bit. I remember when Kelly got the job. I told everybody in the coaching profession, I said, ‘They’re going to be in the Final Four sooner than anybody thinks.’

“As I said earlier today, it better not be this soon.”

Recruiting ties to UConn

The nation’s top team each of the last four years recruited Sabrina Ionescu during her first couple years of high school.

Chris Dailey, Auriemma’s lead assistant, made a visit to the Ionescu house while the Walnut Creek, California, native was still a star at Miramonte High School.

“I didn’t get to know him pretty well and that kind of affected where I was going to end up,” Ionescu said. “I talked to their assistant coaches a bit more.”

Auriemma couldn’t attend because of USA Basketball obligations but would have ordinarily visited alongside Dailey. He popped in on one of Ionescu’s high school games during her freshman year, much to the delight of those in the gym.

“I’m not sure that we would have been in the situation to wait all the way until June for her decision, but I think she made a great choice,” Dailey said. “She’s had a great impact on that program.”

Dailey said she hasn’t been surprised by Ionescu’s early returns on the court given that Ionescu is “a worker.”

I asked UConn coach Geno Auriemma about his impressions of Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu: pic.twitter.com/ySFmVwC1mM

— Jonathan Hawthorne (@Jon_Hawthorne) March 26, 2017

Husky-sized crowd

UConn will almost certainly draw another large crowd for Monday’s matchup. Husky fans sold out Webster Bank Arena — save for a cluster of Oregon and Maryland fans.

UConn fans don’t have to travel far — one hour, 15 minutes away — from campus to catch the nation’s top-ranked team.

That isn’t scaring the Ducks, though. Oregon has played in a few hostile environments this season, including a win over Washington before a sold-out crowd at KeyArena.

“We’ve been the underdogs all season,” Ionescu said. “We’ve seen those big names on jerseys and done just fine. I don’t think we’re nervous. I’m not nervous. I’m just excited to have this experience.”

Follow Jonathan Hawthorne on Twitter @Jon_Hawthorne

Find all of the Emerald’s coverage from Bridgeport here.

The post Elite Eight notes: Graves and Auriemma admire each other, another large crowd expected appeared first on Emerald Media.

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Oregon’s historic postseason run has brought in fans — not to mention an influx of Twitter followers — in recent weeks. But there’s a pocket of unlikely fans at Stafford Creek Correctional Facility in Aberdeen, Washington, that means the world to Oregon guard Mar’Shay Moore.

There, her father Maurice, has spent the last 10 years incarcerated. Moore doesn’t hear from him much — usually once every couple of months when he has enough funds to make a call — but Maurice called her before the Ducks took on Temple last weekend.

During the call, he told Moore that he and some other inmates could watch her game against the Owls on ESPN.

That brought a flood of emotions to Moore. Though she doesn’t play often for the Ducks, she’s a key piece of keeping the Ducks loose, which the team has depended on as the stage has grown to the Elite Eight.

“He said that he will be able to watch it,” Moore said during an interview in the Ducks locker room on Sunday. “It made me so happy that he got to see how far I’ve come.”

Moore said the time away from her father has been difficult. She’s not told many about her background but decided to tweet about it before the NCAA Tournament began.

Haven’t seen my dad in 10+ years. He called from prison and said he will be able to watch the game Tomorrow. #

— marshay moore (@MooreMarshay13) March 17, 2017

“I’m definitely a daddy’s girl so just having him be with me and being able to support me [in watching],” Moore said. “But it’s definitely been hard. I feel like I’ve been having to do a lot by myself.”

Moore, raised by her grandmother, will be the first her in family to graduate from college.

She said she’s savored Oregon’s unexpected run to the Elite Eight. The Ducks face UConn, winners of 110 consecutive games, on Monday at 4 p.m. on ESPN.

Oregon Ducks guard Mar’Shay Moore (13) celebrates after a teammates makes a three-point basket. (Kaylee Domzalski/Emerald)

“It’s been amazing having this experience with this team,” said Moore, a senior. “They’re like family. Being able to do things that we haven’t done in past years and having my family able to watch it means a lot to me. I mean, I’m like one of the few people to come this far in my family.”

She knows that most basketball players dream of a chance to suit up for a shot at Final Four.

“Every day I wake up, it’s a great time to be here,” Moore said. “And be able to do this. A lot of people want to be here and they can’t. I’m soaking up everything that I’ve been able to see and do.”

Part of her NCAA Tournament has included a unique celebration with fellow reserve Lauren Yearwood on Oregon’s bench. After each 3-pointer dating back to the Pac-12 Tournament, Moore falls backwards into Yearwood’s arms in a sort of trust fall.

She said the routine pumps up the team’s shooters and represents the lighthearted mentality for the Ducks’ 2016-17 team.

“I just feel like being here and having the family-oriented atmosphere is great,” Moore said in looking back at her collegiate career. “It doesn’t matter if you play or not — just being able to support your teammates whatever you have to do. We play hard and play for each other.”

For head coach Kelly Graves, Moore’s contributions to the program go far beyond points, assists or 3-pointers.

“Mar’Shay has an amazing story,” Graves said during the team’s senior day celebrations. “She gets us fired up each and every day.

“She knows that she’s not going to play a lot, but she never complains. She has a great attitude. What I’m really, really most proud of Mar’Shay … is that she will be the first person [from her family] to graduate from college.”

Follow Jonathan Hawthorne on Twitter @Jon_Hawthorne

Find all of the Emerald’s coverage from Bridgeport here.

The post Mar’Shay Moore soaking up NCAA Tournament run, including a call with her dad appeared first on Emerald Media.

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Another ranked opponent yielded another midcourt March Madness celebration for the Ducks.

The determined Ducks flew into each other’s arms at center court while No. 3-seeded Maryland could only look on in disbelief. Seconds after Oregon upended Maryland 77-63, it was the Ducks’ moment to celebrate. Once again. But this time before a national television audience on the biggest stage of the season.

“I continue to be amazed at this team,” head coach Kelly Graves said of the Ducks, who improved to 5-1 in March.

Oregon’s latest NCAA Tournament feat punched a ticket to the Elite Eight where the Ducks will face No. 1-ranked UConn.

No team in program history had advanced to the Sweet 16 before last weekend.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling, to be honest,” said Sabrina Ionescu, who scored a game-high 21 points, dished out seven assists and grabbed seven boards. “I think we’re too young to know any better. Nobody really knows the pressure because we don’t have any pressure.

“We came in not knowing any better and it’s working for us.”

The Ducks used an all-out defensive effort to stop Maryland, the top-ranked offensive team in the country. The Terrapins entered the game averaging 90.1 points a game but scored a season-low 63 points. Oregon shot 45.9 percent while Maryland shot 45.6 percent.

“That was our goal — to control the tempo,” Lexi Bando said. “Control the game. Control each possession. It’s kind of incredible that we were able to do that.”

Maryland didn’t hit a 3-pointer while Oregon made six.

Oregon countered the Terps’ offense with a balanced offensive attack. Five players scored in double-digits: Ionescu, Ruthy Hebard (16), Maite Cazorla (15), Oti Gildon (11) and Bando (10).

“I’ll tell you this: Oregon is for real,” Maryland coach Brenda Frese said. “I thought they were sensational tonight. I thought they punched first. I thought they were fearless, aggressive, confident, really punished us in terms of any mistakes.”

The Ducks finished the game on an 8-0 run and forced four turnovers in the final 3:57 minutes to give themselves a shot at UConn, which has won 110 consecutive games and is looking for its fifth consecutive national title.

Oregon took 36-27 lead to halftime and built the lead up to 14 points with 1:32 left in the third after a 9-0 run. The Ducks matched their largest lead of the game again with 5:06 left on a layup by Gildon, who had a career game for the Ducks off the bench.

She had nine boards in addition to 11 points after Malloy McGwire picked up her fourth foul early in the third quarter.

“I completely trust her,” Graves said of Gildon. “She’s so versatile and attacks the rebounds with abandon. Her confidence, you can see, her confidence is just rising game in, game out.”

The win adds to what has already been a historic postseason run for the Ducks.

“I think it’s just throw out the seeds in (the NCAA Tournament), who cares? We’re a good team,” Graves said. “We are a good basketball team. We’re in the field … And I always say a good team with nothing to lose is a dangerous team.”

The Ducks will practice on Sunday and gear up for the Huskies, who are playing 75 miles from campus. But Graves hasn’t yet pondered Monday’s Elite Eight game yet.

“It’s going to take our absolute best performance of the year to move on,” Graves said. “And quite frankly, I haven’t really even thought about it yet.

“I’m kind of taking this win in.”

Follow Jonathan Hawthorne on Twitter @Jon_Hawthorne

Find all of the Emerald’s coverage from Bridgeport here.

The post Ducks stun No. 3-seeded Maryland 77-63 to advance to Elite Eight appeared first on Emerald Media.

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Oregon’s March Madness journey continues to roll along.

The Ducks, a No. 10 seed, are the lowest-seeded team left standing in the NCAA Tournament after a 77-63 win over No. 3 Maryland on Saturday. Oregon advances to the Elite Eight where No. 1-ranked UConn awaits in the Bridgeport Regional on Monday.

Watch head coach Kelly Graves, Ruthy Hebard, Oti Gildon and Sabrina Ionescu talk with reporters after the historic win:

Follow Jonathan Hawthorne on Twitter @Jon_Hawthorne

Find all of the Emerald’s coverage from Bridgeport here.

The post Watch: Oregon press conference after Ducks storm past Maryland to advance to Elite Eight appeared first on Emerald Media.

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — The travel-savvy Ducks have finally landed in the Sweet 16.

By the time Oregon returns to Eugene next week, the team will have logged 11,652 miles — certainly more than any team participating in the NCAA Tournament. No need a calculator for that.

But before then, they hope to knock off the nation’s top scoring team: No. 3-seeded Maryland, which averages 90.1 points a game. The Ducks aren’t letting the Terrapins’ seed fool them. At 32-2 overall, the Terps have the offensive firepower to cripple any defense.

“From studying them, you have a hard time believing that there’s eight teams better than these guys,” said head coach Mark Campbell, who handles the Ducks’ defensive schemes.

The Ducks will look to plug up Maryland’s offense, namely by limiting possessions.

“If we play this game in the 90s tomorrow, we’re probably going to be in trouble,” head coach Kelly Graves said. “If we can keep it between 75 and 80, okay, now, that’s a different story.”

In many respects, the Ducks and Terps mirror each other in size and scoring.

But that’s not the case when it comes to experience. Maryland starts two seniors: Shatori Walker-Kimbrough (18.9 points a game) and Brionna Jones (20.0 points, 10.7 rebounds). The Ducks start three freshmen, a sophomore and a junior. Both Walker-Kimbrough and Jones have Final Four experience, as well.

The Ducks are coming off arguably their best defensive game of the season —  a 74-65 win over Duke on Monday in the Round of 32.

“As good as we were there, though, we’ve got to be a lot better,” Graves said.

Oregon isn’t backing down from the challenge — not on this stage with this much on the line.

“You’ve got to do everything the best you can because you never know when the ball is going to stop bouncing,” Sabrina Ionescu said. “So we come in every day, we play hard, and I think we’re peaking at the right time. So we’re going to come out tomorrow and we’re going to give it everything we have and see where that takes us.”

Maryland coach Brenda Frese took it one step forward, comparing the Ducks to the 2006 Maryland team which won the national championship while starting two freshmen, two sophomores and a junior.

“They didn’t understand the expectations and what was at stake, advancing each round,” Frese said. “So you can see that there’s no pressure on their shoulders, that they’re excited to be here. They’re peaking at the right time.”

That peak has largely come at the hands of freshmen. Oregon’s first-year players have teamed up to score 63 percent of the team’s points in NCAA Tournament play. Oregon, the only team in the field to start three freshmen, ranks fourth in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (39.0 percent) thanks in large part to Lexi Bando’s play. She scored 14 points and made four 3-pointers in the win over Duke.

Maryland is plenty aware of Bando’s ability from behind the arc.

“I feel like her shots right now in the tournament are timely threes, and you’ve got to be able to find her,” Frese said. “She is shooting the ball extremely well, and you have to be there on the catch.”

But regardless of Saturday’s outcome, the Ducks are soaking in every minute of March Madness.

“I think we’re just going to keep playing hard and see how far that takes us, and whatever happens, I think we’re going to be really proud of ourselves,” said Ruthy Hebard, who has averaged 21.5 points and 14.5 rebounds in NCAA Tournament play. “And I think we should be.”

Either Oregon or Maryland will play the winner of UConn-UCLA in the Elite Eight on Monday.

Follow Jonathan Hawthorne on Twitter @Jon_Hawthorne

Find all of the Emerald’s coverage leading up to the Sweet 16 here.

The post Ducks look to slow down Maryland’s high-octane offense in Sweet 16 tilt appeared first on Emerald Media.

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Oregon’s Sweet 16 practice on Webster Bank Arena’s court is in the books.

The Ducks were the second of four teams to practice in the lead up to the program’s first Sweet 16 appearance.

Oregon meets No. 3-seeded Maryland on Saturday morning (8:36 a.m. PT, ESPN) in what will be the second meeting between the two programs. Oregon defeated Maryland in 1983, 76-70.

The Oregon Ducks practice at Webster Bank Arena on March 24, 2017. (Eric Evans/Oregon Athletics)

Here are a few notes from the media availabilities:

Duck men and women experiencing success

Oregon on Friday talked about how both men’s and women’s basketball have experienced NCAA Tournament success this season.

The Ducks watched the men’s team take down Michigan on Friday night in dramatic fashion after they had a shootaround.

“I think there’s really good synergy between the two programs,” Graves said.

Added Sabrina Ionescu: “The men’s team, they’ve been great to us as well. We get tweets after every game — congratulations — and that kind of goes both ways. We congratulate them as well. We see them every day in the training room and on the court.”

USA Basketball on the horizon

Before the Ducks touched down on the East Coast on Thursday, USA Basketball announced that Oregon will field a 3×3 team as part of a pilot program for the national tournament on April 8-9 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The Ducks are one of seven Pac-12 teams expected to compete. Oregon has entered Lexi Bando, Oti Gildon, Ruthy Hebard and Ionescu. Graves joked that Ionescu will likely be the trio’s coach.

“Hey, sign me up,” Graves said of fielding a team. “Any chance they have to play more basketball and compete, I think the better.”

Pack in the UConn fans

Maryland fans are furious that UConn fans from nearby Storrs, Connecticut, bought up the Bridgeport Regional before the NCAA Tournament bracket was released, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday.

“But when teams work so hard all season to only have 100 tickets available is disappointing,” Maryland coach Brenda Frese said. “It’s disappointing for our fans that can drive the distance. … I hope the article brings awareness to the NCAA in terms of, you know, allowing some sort of fairness and equity across the board.”

UConn’s Katie Lou Samuelson talks Ionescu

Both Ionescu and Maryland guard Destiny Slocum were highly ranked recruits in the 2016 espnW class. On Saturday, they will square off against each other. Ionescu (No. 4 overall) and Slocum (No. 7 overall) have both garnered national attention during their debut seasons.

UConn star Katie Lou Samuelson played with Ionescu and has seen Slocum at USA Basketball tryouts.

She had kind words for Ionescu before the Huskies practiced.

“One of the things, she’s really passionate about the game and what she does on the court,” said Samuelson, who grew up in Southern California. “Watching her and seeing what she’s been able to do — she kind of did that in high school. She’s just picked it right up from there.”

Frese said both Ionescu and Slocum are fearless on the court.

“They’re confident,” Frese said. “The biggest compliment I can give them both is that they don’t play like freshmen.”

Full Oregon press conferences

Follow Jonathan Hawthorne on Twitter @Jon_Hawthorne

Find all of the Emerald’s coverage leading up to the Sweet 16 here.

The post Sweet 16 notebook: Ionescu and Slocum to square off, Maryland fans shut out of ticket allotment appeared first on Emerald Media.